Assessment Items from the Molecular Biology 1 Small Group
Goal: Understand gene expression.

Learning outcome: Given a particular DNA sequence, students will be able to predict the mRNA and amino acid sequences.

Summative assessment:

1. Below is a sequence of DNA that encodes a polypeptide. The positions of the start and stop codons are indicated. Which strand is transcribed into mRNA and in which direction?

-----TCA----------------------CAT----------
-----AGT----------------------GTA----------

a. Top strand; left to right
b. Top strand; right to left
c. Bottom strand; left to right
d. Bottom strand; right to left

2. Circle all of the mRNA sequences below that encode the following amino acid sequence. The mRNA sequences are given 5’-3’ from left to right.

Met-Ser-Arg-Leu

a. AUGAGUCGUCUU
b. AUGAGUAAUCUG
c. AUGAGAAGCCUA
d. AUGAGCCGACUG

Formative assessment (Practice going forward and backward through central dogma)
The table below represents a short sequence of DNA that encodes a very short polypeptide. Use the information provided to complete the table. Hint: First find the start codon.
DNA
5’

ATG




CCG
3’

3’
ATG




ATC

5’
mRNA



GCA
AGU




Amino acid





Trp